Closet flange seal

ABSTRACT

A water closet assembly and/or closet flange seal wherein the closet flange seal includes a horn section, a body section, and a sealing fin each formed of a material having a Shore A hardness of less than about 83. The horn section includes a connecting flange, a conical wall, and a ring end wall with the conical wall being integral with and interconnecting the connecting flange and ring end wall. The body section is integral with the horn section and includes a tubular body with an outer face, a first end integral with the horn section, and a second end. The sealing fin extends outwardly from the outer body face, circumscribes the body, and is oriented in a predetermined angle relative to the outer face.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/639,301, filed on Aug. 12, 2003, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for providing asealed connection between a water closet horn and a discharge pipe and,more particularly, a single piece sealing apparatus that performs thisfunction.

2. Discussion

A seal is commonly disposed between a toilet or water closet and adischarge pipe. The seal prevents the toilet/pipe connection fromleaking. Conventionally, this seal has taken the form of a wax ringpositioned on a closet flange fixed to the discharge pipe. When thetoilet is placed in position, the ring seals against the flat base ofthe toilet and the flange. Wax rings, while inexpensive, have a numberof drawbacks. For example, it is difficult, particularly in hot weather,to store the rings in a manner that maintains their structural andgeometric integrity. Further, due to their adhesive nature, initialpositioning on the floor must be performed properly and removal of therings is troublesome. Additionally, wax rings suffer from a relativelyshort operational life due to cracking.

In view of these and other deficiencies, some manufactures haveattempted to develop alternatives to wax ring type seals. However, todate these attempts have failed to provide a commercially viablealternative. Some suppliers have attempted to use multi-material flangeseals that include: a rigid plastic base material for structuralintegrity; a lower seal that is formed of a more flexible material,coupled to a lower portion of the base, and operatively engages thedischarge pipe or closet flange when installed; and an upper flexible oradhesive seal that engages the toilet or toilet horn. However, theseapproaches have been found to be difficult to manufacture, undulyexpensive relative to wax rings, and difficult to install.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, the present invention is directed to a one-piececloset flange seal that provides cost benefits, manufacturingsimplicity, and installation ease relative to conventional sealingdevices. More particularly, the invention is directed to a water closetassembly and/or closet flange seal wherein the closet flange sealincludes a horn section, a body section, and a sealing fin each formedof a material having a Shore A hardness of less than about 83. The hornsection includes a connecting flange, a conical wall, and a ring endwall with the conical wall being integral with and interconnecting theconnecting flange and ring end wall. The body section is integral withthe horn section and includes a tubular body with an outer face, a firstend integral with the horn section, and a second end. The sealing finextends outwardly from the outer body face, circumscribes the body, andis oriented at a predetermined angle relative to the outer face.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.However, it should be understood that the detailed description andspecific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of theinvention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changesand modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description given here below, the appended claims, and theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a toilet assembly using theone-piece closet flange seal of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the closet flange seal taken along theline 2-2 shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an assembled and partial sectional view of the toilet assemblyshown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a water closet assembly 10 that includes a water closet 12with a horn 14 (FIG. 3), a discharge pipe 16, a closet flange 20coupling the water closet 12 and pipe 16 to the floor 18, and a closetflange seal 22 according to the present invention. The closet flangeseal 22 is operatively coupled to the water closet 12 and closet flange20 to provide a fluid tight seal therebetween. In the present invention,the closet flange seal 22 is a one-piece, single material device havingmaterial and dimensions selected to provide a suitable seal between thewater closet and closet flange. The invention provides numerousadvantages over conventional sealing devices, including wax rings andconventional multiple-piece seal configurations, such as improvedinstallation ease, reduced costs, and improved manufacturing simplicity.

As is most clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, the closet flange seal 22includes a body section 26 and a horn section 28, each generallyconcentric about a flange seal axis 30, formed of a single material, andintegral with one another. The horn section 28 includes a connectingflange 32, a conical horn wall 34, and a ring end wall 38 integral withand interconnecting the body section 26 and conical horn wall 34. Anadhesive 40 is disposed on the connecting flange 32 to provide a sealedcoupling to the water closet 12.

The body section 26 is generally cylindrical in shape, extends from thehorn section 28, and includes a wall 41 with an outer face 42, a firstend 44 integral with the horn section 28, and a second end 46. One ormore sealing fins 48 extend outwardly from the outer face 42 proximatethe second end 46, circumscribe the body wall, and are oriented at apredetermined angle relative to the outer face 42. The sealing finsinclude an inner surface 50, an outer surface 52, a first end 54integral with the body wall, and a second free end 56.

As noted above, the closet flange seal 22 of the present invention isformed of a single material thereby improving the manufacturability ofthe device relative to conventional sealing arrangements. Of particularnote is the elimination of the need to form the sealing fins of aseparate material thereby simplifying the manufacturability of the seal.To achieve a suitable seal design using a single material, the presentinvention addresses competing interests of wall stability and finflexibility for seal integrity as well as overall flexibility for easeof installation.

As will be more fully described in detail below, the closet flange sealmaterial, the relative thicknesses of the conical horn wall 34 and bodywall 41, and the fin configuration are each selected to meet thesegoals. The following paragraphs of this detailed description describe apreferred material and closet flange seal configuration that achieves asuitable hydraulic seal at a pressure of at least 4.3 psi as well asoverall flexibility to facilitate installation. Notwithstanding thefollowing description, those skilled in the art will appreciate thatnumerous modifications may be made to the invention without departingfrom the scope of the appended claims.

In the illustrated embodiment, the horn and body sections 26 and 28 areintegrally molded using a single material, preferably an elastomeric orplasticized PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride). The material is selected to have asuitable flexibility for achieving a sufficient seal while alsoproviding sufficient structural support for the horn and body sectionsas well as to accommodate deflection of the sealing fins. To addressthese competing concerns, the preferred material has a Shore A hardnessof greater than about 60 and less than about 83, preferably betweenabout 73 and about 81, more preferably between about 73 and about 77,and even more preferably about 75. This relatively low hardness value,in comparison to materials conventionally used for the body ornon-sealing portions of closet flange seals, provides greaterflexibility in the non-sealing portions thereby increasing installationease while also eliminating the need for a fin material that isdifferent from the material of the other parts of the closet flange seal22. For example, the flexibility of the material permits the flange sealto accommodate misalignment between the toilet horn and discharge pipe.

As noted above, the use of a single flexible material for both thestructural and sealing portions of the closet flange seal 22 presentschallenges concerning the configuration of the conical horn and bodywalls 34 and 41, respectively. For example, the walls must besufficiently thick so that the closet flange seal 22 maintains itsstructural and geometric integrity during installation and use. That is,the horn and body walls are configured to provide sufficient rigidity toresist undue deformation under pressure. Otherwise, the performance ofthe closet flange seal may suffer during use. Further, the body wallthickness provides adequate support for proper fin deflection andsealing without adversely impacting installation ease, accommodation ofmisalignment, or the ability to adjust the position of the toilet duringinstallation. For example, the wall thicknesses are limited by a numberof factors including the desire to maintain flexibility to facilitateinstallation and the desire to accommodate horn size variations withinapplicable space constraints.

The closet flange seal described in detail herein is designed for usewith closet flanges or drain pipes having an inner diameter of aboutthree (3) inches. However, as will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art, the inner diameter of currently used closet flanges or pipesmay vary, particularly due to the use of different materials. Forexample, 3 inch closet flanges for which the described embodiment of thepresent invention is particularly suitable, commonly vary between about3.09 and 2.93 inches. The flexibility of the closet flange seal 22, andparticularly the fins 48, facilitate the use of the invention withinexpected tolerances. For example, the taper and angle of the fins helpto hold an even pressure on the inner wall of the flange therebyproviding a suitable seal within expected flange diameter variations.Moreover, by forming the body wall thickness greater than the horn wallthickness, the more rigid body wall provides greater resistance todeformations that may result in loss of concentricity duringinstallation or use. Further, the horn wall thickness facilitatesinsertion of the closet flange seal inside the closet flange 20.Finally, the overall flexibility of the closet flange seal, includingthe horn wall, body wall, and fins allows for minor adjustments duringfinal installation of the water closet 12.

One of the features of the present invention that assists inaccommodating the competing desires of suitable flexibility forinstallation ease, satisfying size constraints in order to accommodatevarying horn dimensions, and providing sufficient structural strength inthe horn and body sections to resist undue deformation, as well as bodysection strength for proper fin deflection, is the relative thicknessesof the body and conical horn walls 41 and 34. As is shown in thedrawings and Table 1 below, the thickness G of the body wall 41 isgreater than the thickness E of the conical horn wall 34. The greaterthickness in the body wall 41 provides increased support for findeflection while not adversely impacting the suitability of the seal forvarying horn sizes. The conical wall thickness E is preferably less thanabout 0.225 inches and, as shown in Table 1, preferably about 0.205inches. By comparison, the thickness G of the body wall 41 is preferablygreater than about 0.240 inches and, even more preferably, about 0.257inches. In general, while the wall thicknesses may vary, particularlyrelative to the material durometer, the thickness E of the conical wallis preferably on the order of about 80% of the thickness G of the bodywall 41.

As is noted above, the fins 48 are configured to provide a suitable sealagainst the closet flange 20 or discharge pipe 16 in view of thematerial composition of the body section, the geometry of the body wall41 and fins 48, and in relationship to the appropriate materialdurometer. While the specific configuration of the fins may vary, theinner and outer surfaces 50 and 52 of the illustrated embodiment arespaced a greater distance from one another at the first end 54 than atthe second end 56 thereby providing a tapering thickness 58 from thefirst end 54 to the second end 56. Further, the predetermine angle M ofthe inner fin surface 50 relative to the outer face 42 of the body isabout 46 degrees and the angle N of the outer fin surface 52 relative tothe outer face 42 of the body is about 27 degrees. Notwithstanding thesepreferred angular orientations of the fin surfaces, those skilled in theart will appreciate that the angles may be varied without departing fromthe scope of the invention defined by the appended claims. By way offurther explanation, it is noted that the above recited angles may bevaried at least +/−2° without adversely impacting the sealingperformance of the fins.

The following table provides more detailed information regarding thepreferred geometric configuration of the closet flange seal components.Again, these dimensions are provided to further illustrate a preferredconfiguration of the illustrated embodiment and not as limiting featuresof the invention. The reference characters listed in the table are shownin the drawings.

TABLE 1 Reference Character Description Dimension A Flange Seal Height3.250 inches B Horn Section Height 0.815 inches C Body Section Height2.435 inches D Connecting Flange Thickness 0.150 inches E Conical HornWall Thickness 0.205 inches F Ring End Wall Thickness 0.150 inches GBody Wall Thickness 0.257 inches H Connecting Flange Outer Diameter4.700 inches I Connecting Flange Inner Diameter 3.716 inches J Ring EndWall Outer Diameter 3.316 inches K Body Wall Outer Diameter 2.889 inchesL Fin Outer Diameter 3.230 inches M Inner Fin Surface Angle 46° N OuterFin Surface Angle 27°

Before turning to a brief description of a method of installing thecloset flange seal 22 of the present invention, it is noted that theadhesive 40 is preferably a hot melt adhesive applied at a temperatureof approximately at least 300°. Use of a suitable hot melt adhesive,such as the H433 Permanent Pressure Sensitive Adhesive distributed byHeartland Adhesives and Coatings of Germantown, Wis., creates amechanical bond with the connecting flange when applied. Moreparticularly, the elevated temperature of the adhesive etches into andcreates a mechanical bond with the connecting flange. This mechanicalbonding is attributable not only to the temperature of the adhesive butalso the softness of the connecting flange material. Characteristics ofsuitable adhesives include a viscosity on the order of about 8,000-9,000cps at 350° F., a ring & ball melting point (ASTM D 36-95) of about210-220° F., and an application temperature of approximately 350-375° F.Alternatively, a rope-type or other adhesive may also be used. In thisinstances, it is preferred to provide the connecting flange 32 of thehorn section 28 with surface discontinuities or roughness, such as byetching, to facilitate coupling of the adhesive 40 to the flange sealsurface 70.

For completeness, the following description of a method of installingthe closet flange seal 22 and assembling the water closet assembly 10 isprovided. First, the closet flange 20 is fixed to the floor and coupledto the discharge pipe 16. Next, the closet flange seal 22 is positionedand attached to the water closet assembly 10 so that the adhesive 40seals against the horn 14 or the water closet material surrounding thehorn. Next, the water closet assembly 10 with the closet flange seal 22attached is aligned with and displaced toward the closet flange 20 suchthat the fins deflect and seal against the inner surface of the closetflange 20 or discharge pipe 16. The water closet assembly is lowered tothe floor and aligned with the mounting bolts. The flexibility of thecloset flange seal 22 facilitates installation due in part to theflexibility of the single material forming the closet flange seal.

The foregoing discussion discloses and describes an exemplary embodimentof the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognizefrom such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims thatvarious changes, modifications and variations can be made thereinwithout departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the inventionas defined by the following claims.

1. A closet flange seal comprising: a horn section having a connectingflange, a conical wall, and a ring end wall, the conical wall beingintegral with and interconnecting the connecting flange and ring endwall; a body section integral with the horn section, the body sectionhaving a tubular body wall with an outer face, a first end integral withthe horn section, and a second end; and a sealing fin extendingoutwardly from the outer face, circumscribing the body, and oriented ata predetermined angle relative to the outer face; wherein the hornsection, body section, and sealing fin are each formed of one piece ofmaterial having a Shore A hardness of less than about 83, and furtherwherein the body wall has a substantially uniform thickness between saidsealing fin and said ring end wall, and the conical wall has a thicknessless than the substantially uniform body wall thickness between saidsealing fin and said ring end wall.
 2. The closet flange seal of claim 1wherein the material has a Shore A hardness of between about 73 andabout
 81. 3. The closet flange seal of claim 1 wherein the material hasa Shore A hardness of between about 73 and about
 77. 4. The closetflange seal of claim 1 wherein the material has a Shore A hardness ofabout
 75. 5. The closet flange seal of claim 1 wherein the conical wallthickness is approximately 52% of the body wall thickness between saidsealing fin and horn section.
 6. The closet flange seal of claim 1wherein the sealing fin has an inner surface, an outer surface, a firstend integral with the body, and a second free end and wherein the innerand outer surfaces converge toward the second free end.
 7. The closetflange seal of claim 1 wherein the predetermined fin angle includes aninner surface being oriented relative to the outer face of the body atan angle of about 46 degrees.
 8. The closet flange seal of claim 7wherein the predetermined fin angle includes an outer surface relativeto the outer face of the body wall at an angle of about 27 degrees. 9.The closet flange seal of claim 1 further including an adhesivepositioned on said connecting flange to seal against the water closet.10. The closet flange seal of claim 9 wherein the adhesive is a hot meltadhesive applied at an elevated temperature providing a mechanical bondwith the connecting flange.
 11. A water closet assembly comprising: awater closet having a horn; a discharge pipe; a closet flange coupled tosaid water closet and said discharge pipe; and a closet flange sealdisposed between the horn and closet flange to provide a sealtherebetween, said closet flange seal having a horn section, a bodysection, and a sealing fin extending outwardly from an outer face ofsaid body section, each of the horn section, body section and sealingfin being formed of one piece of material having a Shore A hardness ofless than about 83, wherein: the body section is integral with the hornsection and the body section includes a tubular body wall with an outerface, a first end integral with the horn section, and a second end, thebody section further including a sealing fin extending outwardly fromthe outer face, circumscribing the body, and oriented at a predeterminedangle relative to the outer face, the sealing fin is formed of the samematerial as the body and horn sections, the sealing fin sealinglyengages an inner surface of the closet flange, the horn section includesa connecting flange, a conical wall, and a ring end wall, the conicalwall being integral with and interconnecting the connecting flange andring end wall, and the body wall has a substantially uniform thicknessbetween said sealing fin and said ring end wall and the conical wall hasa thickness less than the substantially uniform body wall thicknessbetween said sealing fin and said ring end wall.
 12. The water closetassembly of claim 11 wherein the material has a Shore A hardness ofbetween about 73 and about
 81. 13. The water closet assembly of claim 11wherein the material has a Shore A hardness of between about 73 andabout
 77. 14. The water closet assembly of claim 11 wherein the materialhas a Shore A hardness of about
 75. 15. The water closet assembly ofclaim 11 wherein the sealing fin has an inner surface, an outer surface,a first end integral with the body, and a second free end and whereinthe inner and outer surfaces converge toward the second free end. 16.The water closet assembly of claim 15 wherein the predetermined finangle includes an inner surface being oriented relative to the outerface of the body at an angle of about 46 degrees.
 17. The water closetassembly of claim 16 wherein the predetermined fin angle includes anouter surface relative to the outer face of the body wall at an angle ofabout 27 degrees.
 18. The water closet assembly of claim 11 wherein saidcloset flange couples the water closet and discharge pipe to a floor,wherein the horn section of the closet flange seal includes a connectingflange defining an upper sealing surface, and wherein the water closetassembly further includes a seal material sealingly engaging theconnecting flange and water closet.
 19. The water closet assembly ofclaim 11 wherein the horn section includes a connecting flange and thewater closet assembly further includes an adhesive sealingly engagingsaid connecting flange and water closet.
 20. The water closet assemblyof claim 19 wherein the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive applied to saidconnecting flange at an elevated temperature to create a mechanical bondwith the connecting flange.